An image forming apparatus is an apparatus forming images on a printing medium, and may include, for example, a printer, a copy machine, a facsimile machine and a multifunctional product configured to perform some or all functions of aforementioned.
An electro photographic image forming apparatus is a type of image forming apparatus that uses a charging member to charge a surface of a photosensitive medium to a predetermined electric potential, and that scans light to the charged photosensitive medium to form electrostatic latent images on the surface of the photosensitive medium. A developing apparatus is used to apply developer to the electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive medium to develop the electrostatic latent images into visible images. The visible images may be transferred from the photosensitive medium surface directly onto a printing medium. Alternatively, the visible images may be transferred onto the printing medium through an intermediate transfer member, typically, for example, a belt. The images transferred on the printing medium are fixed on the printing medium through a fusing process.
A developing apparatus includes a developer storing chamber for storing developer, a developer supplying member and a developing member. The developer supplying member supplies the developing member with the developer stored in the developer-storing chamber. The developing member attaches the developer to the surface of the photosensitive medium on which the electrostatic latent images are formed so as to form visible images.
As the supply of the developer to the photosensitive medium and the charging of the surface of the photosensitive medium may each be an independent or in combination important aspects of an image forming process, particularly with respect to the image quality, it is desirable to improve upon these aspects.